Thursday, September 1, 2011

Being a Responsible Dog Owner

Well I am experiencing first hand what it is like to live in an apartment complex and within this complex dogs are allowed. Most people clean up after their dogs, but there are those select few that refuse to clean up after their dogs. This problem is making a problem bigger. My neighbors two apartments down are ground level and can not even open their windows because of the smell of dog dodo. The office is well aware of who the culprits that do not pick up the poo are and have sent letters out to them telling them if they are asked one more time to clean up after their dogs they will then be asked to get rid of their dogs or to move. This just makes me sick to my stomach that people do this. Not only is it disgusting, but it's unhealthy. Who wants to smell dog poop all the time or even step in it. Yes, we've had the unfortunate experience of stepping in someone's dog poop because they didn't pick it up. So this whole little experience is the inspiration behind this post. Owning a dog gives you responsibilities, not just to feed the dog, make sure it's healthy, help it when it's hurt, but also cleaning up after it. Why do people NOT feel the need to clean up after their dog(s)? Why do people believe they are exempt from the pooper scooper law in NY? Yes again there is a law in NY for picking up your poop. If you are caught by an officer of the law not picking up your dog's doodoo, guess what you get a nice ticket with a nice hefty fat fine attached to it.

I have even gone out of my way to get biodegradable eco-friendly dog poop bags. It made me feel rotten horrible to be throwing all these little plastic bags into the garbage thinking about oh yeah that will sit in some landfill for what, oh try all of eternity pretty much. So I came across these go go green doggy bags and I just love them. They are guaranteed to be mostly degraded within 12 months of being in any type of landfill or buried in other trash. Genius idea for the company who makes them to market them to people like me trying to be more eco-friendly. But, back to the main point.... if you own a dog you need to be a responsible dog owner and clean up after it. Don't let the dog's breakfast lay sitting on the sidewalk, street, parking lot, or in the lawn in which we all walk. The doggy pooper cleaner upper escape artist seems to be one that walks their dog late at night. My two neighbors have set up vigil to be the building community watch team for the offenders or lack of picking up'ers! They are determined to find out exactly who the person is not cleaning up after their dog. I am rather amused by this, a doggie poop patrol, but at the same time I am glad that someone is taking a stand against the owners not being responsible. I clean up after my dog and trust me I've had to come back to the townhouse and get another bag and go back and clean it up. Sometimes Zero is a triple pooper when on her afternoon walk. This dog will fill up not one but two poop bags... there is NO way I am going to leave all that poop sitting on the lawn for someone to step in. The kids play out there, other people walk their dogs, the guys mow the lawn. I don't want anyone pointing a finger calling me an irresponsible dog owner, because honestly that is the last thing I am.

I just can't for the life of me understand why people will not pick up their own dog's poop. Picking it up is part of being a responsible dog owner and it really makes me wonder what the inside of the apartments they live in look like. I am willing to place solid odds on them not being too clean inside. Eeek that just makes me cringe at the thought, this is a nice complex and the apartments and townhouses are beautiful inside, why ruin something good? So these pooper-lackers or pick up poop slackers, I will call them, are about to ruin it for everyone. This place doesn't have to let us have dogs, but they do and they have for many many years. Of course there are dog rules... 1. No aggressive type dogs (pit bulls, rotties, dobbies, ect) and 2. You must clean up your dog's messes. It just seems like every which way I turn someone is breaking a rule (which of course will be in a next post too...)

My bottom line is this... owning a dog is a privilege, one that not everyone gets to experience. Seeing you have this awesome privilege of owning an animal that will show you such unconditional love it is your responsibility to clean up after it... such as you would a child!